Natsu and Wendy eyed the young woman with caution at her self introduction. Neither knew what to make of her sudden declaration of being the Poet of Time... whatever that actually meant. Seeing their caution Xiaomei fidgeted slightly, she hadn't had a guest in so long, had she done her introduction wrong? What could they possibly have to be cautious about, she wasn't some creepy pervert like Natsu had called her, honest. Her meeting with these two were going all wrong!
"Miss Xiaomei..." Wendy began, instantly the dark haired woman turning her attention to the young Dragon Slayer. "You said you were the one to issues the request?"
"Yes! That's right!" Xiaomei nodded furiously. Just skip over the awkwardness gathered and get to the point, she could fix her mistake at a later date, she had just been so entranced by meeting Natsu that she had gone overboard and showed a side to her that only came out on rare occasions, never before had she shown such an unsightly site to anyone. She had watched him so many times in battle and overcome the odds, same with young Wendy. She of course was a fan with those that got into such heated battles, she couldn't help that she became a certain way when watching such fierce deciding battles.
"So what's the job?" Natsu asked.
"Right." Xiaomei nodded as she took a breath before turning her back to them and casting her arms out, the darkness around her beginning to change as shapes began to take form. "Years ago, in a world far from Earthland." She began as the images centered on a single man. He was a rather tall and muscular man. His most prominent physical features were his curved black mustache, a fierce grin, and his intense eyes. "Wealth, fame, power. A man who acquired everything in that world, the Pirate King, Gold Roger. His final words at his execution sent people to the seas." Xiaomei narroted, showing the man as a fierce pirate before coming to a scene where the man was grinning as he was on his knees on an execution stand.
"My treasure? It's yours if you want it. Find it! I left all the world has in that one place!" This time it was the image of the man himself that gave the declaration before the execution took place, Xiaomei ending the vision before the scene could reach it's ending but it was clear enough to the two Dragon Slayers that the man's life had come to an end on that day.
"His last words brought those who had never taken to the sea before, to venture out into the world to search for the legendary lost treasure. One Piece." Xiaomei told the two. "The treasure is still unclaimed. Twenty years after the King of the Pirates execution, the age of pirates lives on."
"Twenty years?" Wendy asked astonished, was the treasure really that hard to find?
"But I thought the job was only issued just over a single decade ago?" Carla asked recalling the details.
"It was." Xiaomei agreed. "I sent out the job in your Calender Year of X781, several years after the Golden Age of Piracy commenced in that world." She explained. "I had always intended for Natsu to take on this job, that's why I turned all the others away." Xiaomei told them. "But, you all disappeared when Acnologia attacked Tenrou Island, then the quest simply got pushed to the side with the events leading after it. But I always knew that you would come to take the job, eventually." Xiaomei told the older Dragon Slayer with a smile.
"Why Natsu?" Happy asked.
"That doesn't matter." Xiaomei simply waved it off awkwardly. "Don't tell them it's was just for your own entertainment!" She chastised herself. "The job will lead you away from Earthland, to a new world vastly covered by oceans where your only way to get from point 'a' to 'b' is to sail by ship." Once more the space around them changed and showed a planet, and just like she said the ocean claimed most of the world. It's geography was nothing the two Dragon Slayers had ever seen before, it was almost like the world itself was split into two by a massive wall that circled the entire globe. "The job, is to find the One Piece." She smiled.
"A treasure hunt." Natsu grinned.
"Precisely." Xiaomei nodded. "But be assured that there are many searching for the Greatest Treasure of all, you'll be leaving the starting line twenty years after the hunt began. I'm sure that you'll make new friends along the way and ones that will venture with you to find the One Piece, afterall a crew consisting of only two..." Happy crossed his arms with a huff and Xiaomei smiled. "Sorry, a crew of only Four will not be enough to navigate to find the treasure. You will need to build yourself a crew, one that will undoubtedly become just as close to you as those of your own Guild are."
"Uhm... how long will this job take us?" Wendy asked.
"Who knows." Xiaomei smiled knowingly. "There's no fun in it if I give you all the answers now, is there?"
"So it's some kind of big adventure?" Natsu asked. "This sounds like fun!" He grinned.
"Right!?" Xiaomei asked excitedly. "I'm so looking forward to it!" She smiled happily as Natsu gave her a blank stare before she backpedaled waving her hands infront of herself. "Don't worry! I'll just be spectating! I won't be going with you." She assured before clearing her throat and waving her hand showing a ship currently sitting atop the ocean. "This will be the ship that you'll be using."
The vessel itself was a Brigantine class ship and the two Dragon Slayers instantly noted the dragon theme that it had no doubt built that way on purpose, it's figurehead was that of a western Dragon resembling Igneel somewhat, The ship had a wooden hull, giving that furnished finish look to it, the upper section of the hull was covered with darkened red metal plating signifying dragon scales and would undoubtedly protect from heavy cannon fire.
At the stern of the ship, extended off like a Dragon's tail and just like the bow covered in red metal plating. The ship had two masts, a Main Mast on the Main Deck with a large single square-rigged sail and a Mizzen Mast on the quarter deck that had a large triangular jib sail.
"This will be your ship, feel free to name it as you see fit." Xiaomei told them. "It will be your way of transportation and a home for you as you travel the sea for the foreseeable future." She added, already knowing the ship itself wouldn't make it to the end of their journey, a grander ship would take its place in the future, one the likes of the world they were going to had never seen before.
"Alright! With the lacrima we got from the Christina, we'll have no problems Wendy!" Natsu cheered.
"Yeah!" Wendy agreed with a large smile.
"Oh..." Xiaomei smiled. "About that." She raised her hand up and Natsu's bag flew open before the lacrima they were talking about shot into her hand. "I'll be needing this for... future endeavours." She explained cryptically as Natsu's draw dropped. "Don't worry, you'll get it back eventually." She told him before turning to Wendy and smiling. "But there is already someone among you who can help with the motion sickness." As strange as it was, while she was talking at Wendy, Wendy didn't feel as though she was talking to her.
"Troia magic doesn't last forever and Wendy can't caste the spell when she's affected by Motion Sickness." Carla declared.
"I'm sure that you'll figure it out." Xiaomei smiled and once more the poet of time cast her eyes to Wendy, almost as if peering through her. "This is the job." Xiaomei continued. "Do you accept the request to go on such a journey and find the One Piece." She asked with a smile. Natsu turned to Wendy who smiled at him and nodded as Natsu grinned as he turned back to her.
"Yeah." Natsu grinned. "We accept the job."
"Good." Xiaomei smiled. "Now about the reward." She began. "Should you find the One Piece and claim it as your own, it's yours." Natsu and Wendy's eyes widened in surprise, she didn't want it brought back to her? "And regardless of the result of the job I promise you." She locked eyes with Natsu. "The hundred Year Quest will be awaiting you when you return." Natsu grinned even more now, while he knew it would be waiting for him when he got back, that didn't mean he was going to slack off on this job. He'd been hungry for adventure since the Alvarez War had ended, this was the fix to that.
"I'm all fired up now!" Natsu cheered.
"Yeah! Me too!" Wendy joined in with a fist pump in the air.
"Okay!" Xiaomei smiled with a fist pump of her own hand before she lowered it and began to wave to them. "Bye-bye now." The two wizards and fellow exceeds looked at her confused before the ground beneath them gave way.
"AHHH!" The four cried out as they fell before disappearing into the darkness of this unknown world and far away from the world of Earthland. Xiaomei stood alone amidst the darkness before her eyes widened.
"Ahh! I forgot his autograph… ah well, I'll see him again soon." She sighed as she looked down at the lacrima she had taken that was in her hand. "Time to make a copy of the Edens Zero for when they need it." Being able to witness the future, she knew exactly when they would need it and she had some time.
The next thing Natsu knew was that his entire body was plummeting downwards at high speeds. His mind was groggy from the sudden distortion of reality as he couldn't even comprehend the danger of the speed he was falling, nor the severe height he was plummeting from. He was able to tilt his head slightly to see where he was falling and saw blue everywhere he looked, the ocean spanned out in every direction. When his senses did come back to him his eyes shot wide open as he righted himself in the air.
"Wendy!? Happy!? Carla!?" Natsu called out for his fellow slayer and the exceeds.
"Over here Natsu!" Wendy's voice reached him and Natsu turned to see Wendy falling not far from him.
"We're coming Natsu!" Happy's cry from above made the older Dragon Slayer looking upward to see Carla in her human form and Happy, both with their wings extended shooting down towards them. It wasn't long before they reached the two falling Dragon Slayers, scooping the duo up from their freefall.
"You're a lifesaver Happy!"
"Aye sir!"
"Thanks Carla." Wendy smiled over her shoulder at the white haired girl.
"What was that woman thinking, dropping us from such a height!" Carla huffed. "Come on Wendy, let us get lower." Wendy nodded as the Exceed's began their descent towards the ocean below before they could make out the ship that Xiaomei had showed them before, floating completely abandoned on the surface of the ocean.
"There's the ship!" Happy announced.
"It's no good if we can't even land on it." Carla managed as they floated above the ship. "Wendy, any idea what she was talking about when she looked at you when she was claiming that one of us could fix it?"
"No idea." Wendy shook her head. "I only know my troia spell and that isn't long lasting and Natsu has gained a resistance to it so it doesn't' work much on him." Wendy frowned as she tried to think of a way for them to board the ship without issues, if they couldn't even do that then this entire adventure was pretty much a bust already.
"Use enchantment." Wendy was startled by the voice in her ear and roughly turned in the air, immediately recognising the voice.
"Wendy!?" Carla asked in astonishment at the sudden movement her slayer made. Wendy's eyes were wide as she looked around hastily for the source of the voice, ignoring Carla's questioning. She hadn't imagined it, it was almost as if the one that spoke had been leaning over her ear whispering to her.
"Wendy, you alright?" Natsu asked as Happy floated him towards the young girl.
"Enchant the ship itself with troia magic, it's effect will be long lasting, you're more than capable of it." The voice sounded in her ear again and this time Wendy was certain of who it was. "We'll speak later." Irene's voice faded into the recesses of her mind. Wendy swallowed nervously, never having expected to hear the woman's voice again after what Acnologia had done to her. Frowning she turned to Natsu who gave her a questioning look.
"I... I think I can do it." Wendy assured Natsu as she beckoned for Carla to fly closer to the ship. Wendy gathered her magic and cast her arms out, feeling the swell of magic using more than what she would use for a single person feeling the way to do it by the same link that Irene had spoken to her through as if she herself was guiding her on how to do the spell. "Enchantment! Troia!" Her hands filled with blue magic before it seemed to flow forth towards the ship. Natsu and Happy watched in awe as the entire ship glowed with the same blue magic before it receded, as if sinking into the very fibres of the wood that made it up.
"I never knew you could do that Wendy!" Natsu laughed.
"Me... me either..." Wendy admitted as a silence passed between the two.
"Who's going to try it out?" Happy was the one to break the silence making Natsu sweat as Wendy laughed awkwardly, neither wanted to be the test dummy to see if the enchantment had worked or not, both fearful of the motion sickness.
"Well someone has too and since Wendy cast the spell, you Dolt, should be the test subject. Happy drop him!" Carla demanded.
"Don't do it Happy!" Natsu cried out.
"Eh...uh! I don't know what to do!" Happy cried, fought between his best friend and the girl he likes, Natsu and Carla shouting at him as he struggled to come to a decision. That's before Wendy pulled out the big guns giving Natsu the biggest puppy dog stare that she could muster, quivering lip and all.
"Gah! Fine but if it doesn't work pick me back up!" Natsu declared.
"Aye!" Happy nodded as he lowered the Dragon Slayer to just above the ship's main deck of the ship and dropping him a few feet to where Natsu landed effortlessly on the wooden deck, hands out wide bracing himself on the deck. There was silence for a few moments before Natsu looked up with a grin.
"It's all good!" He cheered as he pulled his bag off his back and placed it on the deck.
"Phew." Wendy breathed a sigh of relief as Carla lowered them setting Wendy aboard the deck before she was quickly engulfed in a hug, pulled off her feet surprising the young Dragon Slayer.
"You're the best Wendy! When we get back to Earthland you have to do this to all the trains!" Wendy was a blushing mess completely missing the request and only nodded dumbly before Carla, having transformed into her human self, kicked Natsu square in the face forcing him to release Wendy as he stumbled back a few feet.
"Carla! That wasn't very nice!" Wendy argued as she lowered her own bag to the deck next to Natsu's before turning to the white haired humanoid cat girl.
"Please, who knows when that brute would have let you go. We don't need any of that nonsense." Carla huffed flipping her white hair over her shoulder. "You shouldn't let him get too close like that."
"Yeah, he rarely showers." Happy added, holding a hand to his nose. "He's stinky." Happy continued making Wendy giggle.
"Hey! I shower just plenty!" Natsu argued back before sighing and taking to looking around the ship.
While they were on the main deck of the ship, there was two more decks. The forecastle deck which was raised higher than the main deck at the bow, a set of stairs either side leading up to the deck with a single doorway situated between them leading to the interior. To the stern there was the quarter deck which was raised even higher than the forecastle deck, there was a similar setup only with a set of grand double doors instead of a single. Atop the quarterdeck was another cabin. There were four cannons aboard, two either side of the main deck.
"I wonder how long the ship has been here." Wendy mused as she and Carla took to examining the ship. "Has it been here the entire time that Xiaomei was waiting for Natsu?" She pondered.
"Who knows." Carla shrugged. "It doesn't matter, we're here now and that's what matters." Carla looked over to Happy to see him heading up to the door at the base of the forward deck. "Come on Wendy, we'll let them explore down that way, we'll go check things out this way."
"Okay." Wendy nodded as she followed after the exceed. Natsu watched them go before turning and following after Happy, the blue cat already having opened the door.
"Let's see if this tubs got any grub." Natsu grinned.
"Aye! Fishy time!"
Wendy and Carla entered into the rear cabin beneath the quarterdeck and walked right into a kitchen. Or more so, kitchen/dining area the two areas being separated by an island bench large enough to sit 6 in a row with stools ready for use. The kitchen had a very professional setup, something you'd find in the 8-island restaurant chain run by Yajima. The stove had eight hot plates each implanted with a fire lacrima for cooking, a large walk in fridge was also included plus an equally large walk in pantry used to store dry goods.
Something both Carla and Wendy checked was the provisions aboard, unfortunately both the pantry and walk in fridge were completely bare of anything, not even a sack of flour let alone a grain of rice. They would need to stock up on supplies before anything else it seemed, and with how Natsu ate, they would need to keep it stocked, or locked.
Across from the kitchen was the dining area, housing a singular dining table large enough to fit at least twelve people comfortably. Beside the entrance to the cabin there was a spiral staircase both leading up to the cabin above and down to the decks below. Wendy gave a gentle sniff to the air and didn't pick up any kind of lingering scent, it was like nobody had ever stepped foot aboard the ship, or hadn't in the time that it took for a scent to completely disperse.
"Having no food with the glutton around will become an issue." Carla mused aloud as she took in the dining/kitchen before nodding, deeming it to be up to standard. "We'll need to gather supplies before we venture out into this world."
"I agree." Wendy nodded. "I think we'll need more than just food too." Wendy explained as the two headed for the spiral staircase as they began to ascend the stairs. "We'll need to learn alot about this world too." Wendy added as Carla nodded following behind as they came up to the cabin above.
The room itself was well lit due to the large window that stretched nearly all the way across the wall giving them a perfect view of the ship laid out before them, the door to the cabin to the far left of the window. There was a lever of some kind in the centre of the room with a dragon design and from what Wendy could judge by the rather simple mechanics, was that the lever controlled the rudder and would allow them to steer the ship instead of a wheel.
"I guess this is where we control the ship from." Carla stated folding her arms over her chest as she looked around, just like the kitchen and dining area below, it lacked the warmth she had come to know of Fairy Tail. "The ship might have some of the essentials but still, it will take a while before it feels like home."
"But that's the fun part Carla." Wendy assured her. "As we go on our adventure, we'll undoubtedly make this place feel like home. It'll just take a bit before then." She explained as Wendy turned and walked to the window with a smile on her face, she was already looking forward to all the fun that they were going to have searching for the One Piece. Carla walked up beside her and joined Wendy in observing the ship.
"I guess you're right." Carla spoke beside her getting a smile from the young Dragon Slayer. However, as Carla stood beside Wendy, she took in the sails and the masts before she glanced back at the rudder control and then to Wendy as a thought began to plague at her. "Wendy." Carla began as Wendy looked across at her with a questioning look. "Do either you or Natsu know anything about sailing a ship?" Wendy was puzzled for a moment before her eyes widened.
"Oh no!"
"Find anything yet Happy?" Natsu asked as the two searched the cabin that they had first entered from the main deck. It was just a large empty room with a staircase heading below. The only thing present where a few barrels stacked to the side which after checking the contents, they were filled with fresh water.
The only other notable thing was the large chains that seemed to stretch across the length of the walls where they met at the centre. Deciding to investigate Natsu's walked over to them he examined them before seeing a wheel of some kind and a pulley system connected to the chains. Grinning he pulled on the pulley system and the chains began to move splitting apart the walls at the front of the ship, all the way until Natsu could no longer use the pulley system unless he were to break it.
"Woah!" Happy announced as the sunlight blared through as they looked out over the ocean the sea breeze blowing over them, the figurehead of the dragon just looming overhead. Now that the room was filled with more light, Happy and Natsu saw that the floor itself looked to be moveable and after a quick inspection, the wheel he saw near the pulley system would undoubtedly release the locks holding the floor in place allowing it to slide out and down.
"It's a ramp." Natsu stated aloud seeing that the floor would undoubtedly roll forward and then outwards. If this was the cargo area then it would be easy to fill it if they needed too and considering ti was empty, they would need to fill it with something.
"That was pretty cool, but not a single fish to be found." Happy sighed as he frowned, Natsu pulling the reverse pulley and the the ship's cargo doors began to close before they were sealed shut with a tug for good measure.
"Let's keep exploring, there has to be some food somewhere." Natsu suggested, the two heading for the staircase, opposite the entryway to the cabin. The two found themselves in an even larger empty room with a door at the end, the only thing present were shelves and rolled up nets tied to the roof that looked like they would hold cargo in place once they actually had cargo.
"More storage?" Natsu questioned as Happy shrugged it looked as though there was nothing much more to the two heading for the door at the end seeing as there was nothing left to investigate in here.
Opening the door they found themselves in a hallway, a few meters up on each side was two sets of doors on the left and three on the right hand side and another at the end of the hallway. The two checked each of the doors and found a few beds in three of the rooms showing that they were sleeping quarters while another room reminded Natsu and Happy of the guild's infirmary. The last room was a spacious bathroom.
Following the hallway along until they reached the far door which led to a large open empty space, there were three small portholes on either side of the room looking out onto the top of the water and allowing light into the large area from both sides, however there was still lacrima lighting installed. To the far right was a spiral staircase leading upwards.
"Not really much is there Happy?" Natsu asked.
"At Least there are beds." Happy shrugged, the two heading for the staircase only to find themselves in the kitchen area, both immediately growing excited at the prospect of food but soon found that there was nothing stocking the pantry or fridge. Defeated and dejected at the lack of presence of anything edible, Natsu collapsed into chairs at the table while Happy laid beside the Dragon Slayer on the tabletop.
"Oh no!" Natsu's head shot up at Wendy's voice from above before hurried footsteps found her coming down the spiral staircase in a hurry.
"Wendy? What's up?" Natsu asked as Wendy looked at him frantically.
"None of us know how to sail!"
Wendy had to smile as she sat on the railing of the ship beside Natsu their legs hanging over the edge. The older Dragon Slayer having pulled two collapsible fishing poles from his bag his own, while she herself used Happys. Natsu always seemed to have whatever he needed in his bag when he went out on his adventures and it didn't seem like he had packed light for the Decade Quest that they were on.
"Fishings so boring, I'll never get what Gildarts is so pumped to go all the time." Natsu muttered as he watched the water where his line was resting. "Does this world even have fish?" He asked aloud.
"Hmm, I would say so." Wendy nodded. "I don't think it would be much different to Earthland, I'm sure Miss Xiaomei would have said something otherwise."
"That pervert." Natsu huffed. "Dropping us on a ship in the middle of the ocean after taking my lacrima and she probably knew we had no idea how to sail!" Wendy smiled awkwardly, they were certainly presented with their challenges upon arriving. She couldn't feel Irene's presence anymore but the fact that she had felt her within her mind was worrisome to the young Dragon Slayer.
But right now, they needed to focus on the situation at hand. They were in the middle of the ocean with no food and only a few barrels of water that was found in the storage area of the ship. Neither Natsu or Wendy had the know how to properly sail let alone navigate to a nearby island to ask for help. All they could do was wait for HAppy and Carla to get back from their search and hope they found something.
"Natsu!" Happy's voice reached the two as they looked up to see Happy floating towards them. "I can't go on, I need Fish."
"Happy! You're suppose to find someone so we can get out of here!" Natsu shouted only for Happy's aero magic to give out just as he flew in the older Dragon Slayer, Natsu easily catching him before hitting the wood. "Nice try anyway little buddy, get some rest." Happy nodded as he closed his eyes and snuggled into Natsu's lap, the Dragon Slayer determined to have a fish for him when he woke up.
"I hope Carla's having a bit better luck." Wendy frowned looking out over the horizon before feeling a light tug on her line.
"Ah! Wendy you've got a fish hooked!" Natsu cheered.
"Eh!? What do I do Natsu!?" Wendy panicked.
Carla flew high to get a better view of her surroundings, the ocean blue in every which direction. She didn't want to go to far from the ship but she needed to find someone, she couldn't exactly leave something this important up to Happy. Having reverted back to her exceed form to save on magic power, she flew straight, keeping an eye on the sun to make sure she headed back in the same direction.
"I don't have much magic left." She commented to herself, already feeling like she was on the verge of running out. She would need it to return unless her aero magic was to give out on her. Giving the horizon one last glance over, to see if there was anything, land or ship that she could possibly ask for help from. When she was about to give up the search and return, she saw it. A small boat that looked more like a spec on the horizon but it was something at least. Spreading her wings she shot towards the small vessel, much smaller than the ship that they had been gifted by the Poet of Time.
"All I can hope for is that they're willing to help." Carla mused as she quickly approached the vessel, only seeing one person aboard the row boat, a young woman it seemed like.
Carla slowed herself down as she took a moment to examine the young woman aboard the small boat. She seemed fascinated with the water, almost drooling over the prospect of there being fish underneath. It appeared she wasn't faring much better then the rest of them. Dropping down Carla landed on the boat with barely a sound, allowing her wings to disappear before she cleared her throat, the young woman shooting up at the sound.
Now that Carla was facing her straight on, the exceed could better take in her appearance. She looked to be around the same age as Lucy however much more petite in comparison to the blonde, at least in certain areas. She had slightly darker scarlet hair than Erza, tied up in a knot with a white bow and had brown eyes. She wore a simple sleeveless kimono, long arm gloves and sandals with a large white cloth wrapped around her waist with a Wakizashi, tucked into it on the left side of her hip.
"Hello there." Carla began politely. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I was hoping that you may be able to offer your assistance." She began as the girl stared at her.
"I'm going crazy..." The girl muttered as she rose a hand to her chin. "I get I'd invision an animal as I'm starving... but a talking cat?" She queried, trying to come to terms with the mirage she believed that she was seeing.
"I'm no illusion." Carla spoke. "Please we are in need of your aide." The girl looked at her skeptically as Carla sighed. "I believe we will be able to compensate you with food if you do." She was placing her faith in the brute to be able to catch something.
"Alright mystery Cat, what can I help you with?" The girl questioned, immediately at the promise of food as a reward.